Thomas Day (North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Caswell County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,501 people, 8,670 households, and 6,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 9,601 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
. Day's furniture-making business became one of the largest of its kind in North Carolina, employing at one point up to twelve workers, and distributing furniture to wealthier customers throughout the state. Much of Day's furniture was produced for prominent political leaders, the state government, and the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
.
Day was born to free black parents in Dinwiddie County, Virginia
Dinwiddie County, Virginia
Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 28,001. Its county seat is Dinwiddie.- History :...
around 1801. His family moved to Warren County, North Carolina
Warren County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,972 people, 7,708 households, and 5,449 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,548 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
in 1817, and then to Caswell County sometime after 1822. Day began his cabinetmaking business in Milton, North Carolina
Milton, North Carolina
Milton is a town in Caswell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 132 at the 2000 census. It is adjacent to the Virginia International Raceway, which is just across the NC/VA state line.-Geography:...
with his brother, John Day, Jr.
John Day (judge)
John Day was a Liberian politician and jurist who served as the 2nd Chief Justice of Liberia from 1854 until his death in 1859....
, but his brother left Caswell County by 1825, leaving the cabinetry business solely to Thomas.
John Day would later emigrate to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and serve as Chief Justice of Liberia
Chief Justice of Liberia
The Chief Justice of Liberia is the head of the judicial branch of the Government of the Republic of Liberia and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of Liberia.-Appointment and term:...
.
After his furniture business became profitable, Day married Aquilla Wilson of Halifax County, Virginia in 1830, and had three or four children.
Day's furniture-making business, though owned by a free black American, employed the use of both black slaves and of white apprentices, despite the general belief that Day, as a free man, was of lower social stature than his white apprentices.
As a businessman, Day was quite successful, at one point becoming a stockholder in the State Bank of North Carolina
State Bank of North Carolina
The State Bank of North Carolina is the oldest surviving commercial building in Raleigh, North Carolina and was the first state-sponsored banking institution constructed in North Carolina. The bank was incorporated in 1810, but during the War of 1812 cash was moved inland to banks in Raleigh and...
, and Day owned significant real estate, including his place of business and residence. This was highly unusual for a free person of color in the era before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Day had even managed to steam-power much of his furniture-making implements, which aided greatly in his production volume and efficiency.
A national economic panic in 1857 caused Day's furniture business to suffer heavily, and in 1861 or at some time shortly after, Thomas Day died, although his exact death date is not known due to the lack of local public records. Day's home and workshop have been restored and are significant points of local and state history. In addition, his furniture was and is still seen as some of the highest quality antebellum, native furniture in North Carolina. Pieces of Day's work have been displayed at various museums throughout North Carolina and Virginia, and an exhibit of Day's work opened at the North Carolina Museum of History
North Carolina Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short-term and traveling exhibits...
in May, 2010.
Due to Day's status as a free black, and his unique achievements given the social and racial restrictions of the era, he is hailed as a highly important figure in the history of North Carolina's African American culture.
A statue of Thomas Day stands outside the North Carolina Museum of History
North Carolina Museum of History
The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short-term and traveling exhibits...
, along with statues of Frederick Augustus Olds and a representative Saura
Saura
The Saura were a tribe of Native Americans who lived in the Piedmont area of North Carolina near the Sauratown Mountains, east of Pilot Mountain and north of the Yadkin River. They were believed to have spoken a Siouan language....
town Woman.
Characteristics of Thomas Day's Furniture
In contrast to carpentry and milling of it’s time, which was mostly produced as separate entities, Day’s creations were crafted as unique pieces that each played an essential role in a holistic architectural composition. Thomas Day hailed the parlor as the pinnacle of his projects. He designed the millwork around it as reverberations of the style used in the parlor. His distinctive woodwork in these types of rooms often included an elaborate mantel between two arched niches. The dramatic effect caused by the variety of depth is a unique characteristic of Day’s parlors.
The movement created by the imposing mantel and receding niches is extended into the woodwork detail. Fluted casing often accompanies the niches, with a focal point created by a keystone at the highest point of the arch. Thomas Day’s mantels are also exceptionally detailed, as they were the central focus of the parlor. These mantels are comprised of a thick shelf supported by columns that appear to be freestanding. Ionic capitals are a common feature of these columns.